Silo-press



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. w. JEFPERSON.

SILO PRESS.

y J'- Patented Nov. 1 l, 1884.

INVENTOR:

BY MW 1 WITNESSES go ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Plwm Llllwgmpllcr, Washing'nll. D (I,

(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. W. JlP-Y'IE'E:RSON.

SILO PRESS.

No. 307,953. Patented Nov; 11, 1884.

DWENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

Erica.

CHARLES w. JEFFERSON, on RUGBY, TENNESSEE.

SlLO-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,953, dated November 11, 1884.

Application filed August 27, 18VC4. (No mode.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WV. JEFFERSON, of Rugby, in the county of Morgan and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Silo-Press, of which the following is a .full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive silo-press having few, strong, and durable parts, so arranged with each other and with the silo as to provide for very great compression of the ensilage by the use of a common lever or pinch-bar.

The invention consists in particular constructions of parts of the silo-press and the wall-plates of the silo, and combinations of the parts with each other, all as'hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of a silo with my improved press applied, and with the silowall partly broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the silo and press on the line x m, Fig. 1, and showing the lever or pinch-bar applied to lower the press. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of one end of a pressbeam and portion of the silowall; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of Fig. 3, partly broken away, and with the lever or pinch-bar applied in lowering the press.

The letter A indicates the wall of the silo, which may be built below the ground-surface or above ground under cover.

To the inner faces of the opposite side portions, to a, of the silo-wall, I fix, by bolts b or other suitable anchors, the built-in wall-plates B, which are made of metal in the peculiar form presently described.

The letters 0 indicate the boards or planks, which are placed looselyon top of the fodder or ensilage D, filled into the silo; and E are the timbers or stringers, which rest over and across the cover-boards 0 along the silo, one timber E being shown at each side. The silo may be of any desired size, and so as to require but one press-beam to be laid on top of and across the timbers E, to hold the coverboards 0 to the ensilage. I have represented a silo of considerable size, with two pressbeams,-.F, set with their ends facing the opposite pairs of wall-plates B B; but any num ber of press-beams may be employed, depending on the length of the silo, or as other circumstances shall require. The press-beams F may be made in cast or wrought metal, in which case the lugs 2, and between which the holding-pawls G are pivoted, will be cast or formed with the beam; but I show the tral portions of the wall-plates B are set back,

as at d, to form the grooves, channels, or ways K, into which enter the tongues L, which are formed on the ends of the thimbles H of the press-beams. At the insides of the set-back portions (1 of the plates 13, or at the backs of the grooves or ways K, are formed the racks M. The lips or flanges N N of each wallplate 13, which separate the racks .T J from the groove K of the plate, project sufficiently beyond the racks and the inner surface of the wall-plate to prevent the end shoulders, O- O,

of the press-beams, or the thimbles thereon,

from striking the wall-plate, the points of contact of the shoulders O 0 being only at 0 0 between the flanges N N, and the inner parts of the shoulders, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the tongues L on the thimbles H do not extend to the rack M, and fit loosely in the way or groove K. By this construction very little friction occurs between the ends of the press-beams and the silo -walls or wall-plates, allowing the beams to be carried down easier by the levers or pinch-bars P.

The operation is as follows: The ensilage having been placed in the silo, and the coverboards 0 laid thereon, and the timbers E and press-beams applied over the boards 0, as above described, the lever P will be placed with its heel p on the tongue L as a fulcrum, and the end or toe of the leverswill be engaged with the rack M. The outer end of the lever will then be depressed for forcing the pressbeams F, timbers E, and cover-boards 0 downward to compress the ensilage. As the ends of the press-beams are carried downward by the lever, the pawls G engage lower teeth of the racks J to hold the beam while the lever is adjusted lower down in the rack M for its next downstroke. The lever 1? may be applied to depress one end of each beam F at a time; or levers may be Worked at both ends of each beam or of both beams,to carry the beams down level, or nearly so.

It is obvious that by the use of my improved silo press enormous pressure may be brought to bear on the ensilage to pack it closely,for preventing fermentation and keeping it in wholesome condition until consumed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A silo-press having its press-beams F provided with pawls G G at each end, which work in racks J J of plates B, fixed to the si1o-wal1,and said plates B having ways K between the racks J J, to receive tongues L on the press-beams, and also having racks M, to

groove K, and with flanges N N, projecting beyond the face of the plate, in combination with the press-beams F, having end tongues, L, entering the grooves K, and shoulders O O, contacting only with the flanges NN, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the walls of a silo-press, of rack-plates secured to said walls,

and of press-beams carrying pawls fitted for 45 engagement with said rack-plates, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES 'W. JEFFERSON.

Witnesses:

G. H. BLAOKLOOK, H. M. BLAOKLOCK. 

